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Mascara Review

By Diane Kaye
TGForum Consumer Products Editor


As part of this column, I am always interested in hearing from the readers on products they would like to see evaluated by Diane Kaye’s testing laboratory. If you have comments, questions, or requests, please drop me a line at: diane923@tgforum.com

Well all of us girls love to have those bedroom eyes. You know, long sexy lashes to our nose. The ones movies are made about. Well this month I’m going to try and give all of you the scoop on who’s mascara is best and how they stand up to the Diane Kaye testing laboratory. My assistant Igora was there to help. Just kidding.

What I decided to do to test the various brands was to set up a test using natural hair, like that found in brushes. How well did the product coat on one, two and three applications. Was the coating smooth or rough and clumpy. Did it come off when brushed with the hand or a paper towel? And what did the manufacturer claim and was it true. Typically, mascara hardens with some flexibility. That’s why you crimp and immediately apply the mascara, to help the curl in the lash set. Every manufacturer claims theirs works perfectly. No clumping and great looks.

The brands tested were the drug store group, which are usually moderately priced. They included: Revlon’s ColorStay Lashcolor in Black, Maybelline’s Illegal Lengths in Soft Black, Cover Girls Professional in Black, Maybelline’s Great Length in Black, Loreal’s Voluminous in Black, Almay’s One Coat in Black/Brown, Almay’s Longest Lashes in Black, and finally, Max Factor’s 2000 Calories in Black/Brown. Testing went as follows:

The Test Criteria

Density of color for one stroke- How thick was the color when the brush was stroked once? The Scale was 1-5 with 1 meaning very thin and 5 being very dense.

Wipe Off- Once the mascara was set, did it come off with a light brush of a towel, and if so, how much? The scale was 1-5 with 1 wiping off easily and 5 not wiping off at all.

Hardness of Dried Mascara- How hard was the dried coating? Did it break off when disturbed or did it merely smear? This test would simulate one touching the lash with a nail and scraping at it lightly. The scale was 1-5 with 1 being soft and smearing and 5 being hard and brittle.

Finish for 1, 2, and 3 strokes- The hair samples were stroked three times, each time the thickness of the coat observed on the hair. Clumping was noted as was uneven coating. The scale 1-5 with 1 being the best overall look and 5 being the worst clumpy look.

One hair test for thickness- This test was a more critical look at the quality of the coating. To clump on one hair really takes some doing. No scale but thickness rated as: Thick, Moderately thick, and Slightly thick.

Finally a look at the type of applicator brush and a review of the packages directions for application and removal.

 

Brand

Revlon

ColorStay

Maybelline Illegal lengths

Cover Girl Profes’nl

Maybelline Great Lashes

Loreal Volum’s

Almay One Coat

Almay Long Length

Max Factor 200 Calorie

Density

5

3

3

4

5

4

4

5

Wipe Off

3

4

5

4

3

5

3

3

Hardness

3

5

4

3

5

4

4

5

Finish-1 stk

4

2

3

4

4

2

2

4

Finish 2 stk

4

2

3

4

5

3

2

4

Finish 3 stk

5

3

4

5

5

5

3

5

Thickness

Thk

Mod Thk

Slight Thk

Thk

Thk

Slight Thk

Mod Thk

Thk

Brush Size/Type

1" Fine

1" Fine

3/4" Med

5/8" Coarse

1" Fine

3/4" Med

1" Fine

1" Med

Overall Rating*

4

5

4

3

2

5

5

3

* 5 rates the overall best. 1 the worst, in my opinion.

Manufacturer’s Directions

Revlon Apply and let set, them re-apply. Remove with non-oily eye makeup remover.

Maybelline Illegal Apply and reapply while still wet. Remove with soap and water.

Cover Girl Professional No application directions. Remove with CG remover (Waterproof)

Maybelline Great Lashes Apply and re-apply while still wet. Remove with soap and water.

Loreal Voluminous No applications information or removal. One coat claim.

Almay One Coat Apply once, and remove with non-oily makeup remover or moisturizing remover.

Almay Longest No applications information. Remove with non-oily remover or moisturizing remover. Claims to have no fibers that could irritate the eye. This is the only one to make this claim.

Max Factor no directions.

Conclusions

After testing all brands I sort of picked my favorites. The selections were based on how well the hairs coated and how well the coating stayed on. I did not like excessively heavy coatings or clumping. Mascara that remained soft was a no -no as it said " I’ll get on your cloths and make a mess". Also it means your brow will have eye lash marks. Not a pretty sight. Big heavy lashes are not pretty in my opinion. They tend to take away from the eye’s beauty and delicate appearance. Cost averaged about $4.75 with Revlon’s being the most expensive at a whopping $5.75. All samples were bought at my local Cosmetic Center store. Now I know some of you girls will dispute my findings and insist your brand is truly the best. If it works for you go for it. I hope this evaluation will help those of you trying to decide which brand to buy.

 

As part of this column, I am always interested in hearing from the readers on products they would like to see evaluated by Diane Kaye’s testing laboratory. If you have comments, questions, or requests, please drop me a line at: diane923@tgforum.com

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